


Muggles Have Been to Mars

by livy_bear



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Love Confessions, lily is actually a closet space nerd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 14:58:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11015757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livy_bear/pseuds/livy_bear
Summary: Absolute fluff and a sweet love confession in the Gryffindor common room early in seventh year.





	Muggles Have Been to Mars

“No, no, it’s _ridiculous_ James. It’s absolutely ridiculous!” 

Lily was ranting again. James had always suspected in the years of knowing her that she loved long speeches or a well put together turn of phrase, but he had never experienced first hand just how much she actually adored them. She would spend hours somedays, pulling together bits of an old radio to listen to speeches from Parliament or Callaghan. And other days, when she could listen to professionals speak, she could go on for hours. James thought she had a mind made for government, he really did. He was convinced that when they finished Hogwarts that spring that she’d either pop off to the Ministry or Parliament, whichever hired her faster.

Today’s rant was about pens. The ruddy muggle things that had ink all stored up in them instead of having to carry a well everywhere you went. Brilliant little things, but “It’s all about the aesthetics, Lil.”

“Bloody _aesthetics_ ,” she scoffed. “If wizards were less concerned with tradition and aesthetics they’d have realized phones are much more affective for communicating than charmed  _mirrors_.”

“Don’t knock the mirrors.” James pouted, rather defensively. 

Lily stopped and cracked a grin. “James you have to realize from a muggle perspective, you look absolutely ridiculous talking to your own reflection. Even after Sirius does crop up, it’s silly. You look silly.”

“I look dignified, thank you very much.” He sniffed.

“Of course you do, darling,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m only trying to say that muggles are leaps and bounds ahead of wizards technologically. It’s stupid that the only thing keeping you from joining us is prejudice. We’ve been to space. Have you lot been to space?”

“Lily--” James stopped. “Wait, muggles have gone to space? Since _when_?”

“Exactly.” 

“What parts of space?”

“James, please, I’m trying to make a point.”

“But Lily, _space_!”

She sighed, stopping her pacing. A soft little smile adorned her face as she looked at James. He felt his echoing smile stretch across his face, along with the burn of what must have been a bright red blush. She came and sat next to him on the couch of the Gryffindor commons, eyes twinkling.

“Alright, alright,” she smiled. “Space. What do you want to know?”

“When did muggles go to space?”

She paused. “I think the first time was in the 50′s. The Soviets sent up a probe or something. Then the Americans actually got in a ship and went to the moon in ‘69. I remember watching it on the telly.”

“You saw it?” When she nodded, James mouth only dropped open farther. “What did they do up there?”

“Well they planted a bloody flag because they’re American.” Lily rolled her eyes. “But they just took some rocks and came home, I think. Now we have pictures of Mars and rocks from there too.”

“Muggles have been to Mars?!”

“Well, people haven’t.” She corrected. “But we sent a robot.”

“Robot?”

“Like...enchanted metal?”

“Brilliant!”

Lily laughed. “I didn’t know you liked space this much, James. You barely pay attention in Astronomy.”

“Well,” he sighed. “That’s because we’re looking at all of it from down here, which is so ordinary. I can look up at the stars any time I want, all I have to do is walk outside after dark. But I had no idea that muggles had actually gone up and had a first hand look at everything! It’s brilliant! Muggles are so brilliant!”

“Thank you,” she laughed. “I’ll tell them you said that.” 

After a moment of silence where the two stared at each other, but tried to make it seem like they weren’t, James broke the silence. “Do you think you’d ever go to space, given the chance?” 

Lily tilted her head, thinking about it. “No, I like being where it’s solid.”

“I’d go to space.”

“What? _You_? I’m shocked.”

James grinned at her. “That sarcasm helps.”

“Mm, I thought it did,” she hummed.

“If I went I’d bring one of those pens with me.”

“Pens don’t work in space.”

“What?” James laughed. “Why not?”

“No gravity,” Lily smiled.

“Then I’ll charm it to write,” he said. “There’s a benefit to being a wizard after all.”

“You’re right, and you’ve found the only one.”

“Not the only one,” he disagreed. “I met you after all.”

Lily laughed, cheeks coloring. “Oh, and that’s a direct benefit from being a wizard, is it?

“It is,” he confirmed. “Because if I hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have gone to Hogwarts, and I wouldn’t have met you. The love of my life.”

“Sure,” she said. “You can stop calling me that any day now.”

“Can’t,” he shook his head. “Can’t because it’s true.”

“James, please,”

“It is,”

“ _James_ \--”

“Lily,” James took a breath and gathered his courage. Now or never. “Lily, really, I care about you a lot. Getting to know you, and be your friend this past year and a half, I--I love you. I do.”

Lily had flushed to her roots, gawking at James just a little. It was adorable anyway. “You’re serious?”

“I’m James.” He cracked.

It did the trick. The tension broke and Lily started laughing. She lightly punched his bicep. “Wanker,” she giggled. “But, I suppose I love you too.”

“Yeah?” James smiled.

“Yeah,” Lily replied.

They sat there beaming at each other like a couple of idiots.

James cleared his throat. “Can I--would it be alright if I kissed you?”

“I’ll allow it.” 

It was soft and tentative as first kisses go, but it wasn’t bad. It definitely wasn’t bad. 


End file.
